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Eventually I want to be a prosecutor - its basically why i went to law school. The only reason why I want to work at a firm is so I can gain experience to become a prosecutor. What do I say in interviews - if I tell them the truth is that a total turnoff?
PLEASE HELP!

Working in a biglaw firm is not going to get you practical experience that will help you be a prosecutor.

Every prosecutor (federal) i have spoken with recommended working for a top litigation firm.
Any thoughts on my actual question?

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Replace "prosecutor" with "litigator". There should be at least a few things that appeal to you about being a prosecutor that also apply to general litigation. Focus on those.

eandy wrote:Working in a biglaw firm is not going to get you practical experience that will help you be a prosecutor.

and yet, this is the path many prosecutors take to land where they do.

famlawatty wrote:Replace "prosecutor" with "litigator". There should be at least a few things that appeal to you about being a prosecutor that also apply to general litigation. Focus on those.

+1, and if there isn't, you're not thinking hard enough.

I don't understand why you would work in a litigation department doing civil stuff and getting practically no courtroom experience when your goal is to be a criminal prosecutor. That makes no sense to me. Work at a DA's office or intern for the US Atty's office. Don't sit around writing memos and maybe attending a deposition in your second year just to try to gain marginal experience doing the work you want.

If you want to get money and SOME marginal experience, just be honest with yourself. There's nothing wrong with that tack. The better option for hands-on experience would be following the path I just outlined.

como wrote:I don't understand why you would work in a litigation department doing civil stuff and getting practically no courtroom experience when your goal is to be a criminal prosecutor. That makes no sense to me. Work at a DA's office or intern for the US Atty's office. Don't sit around writing memos and maybe attending a deposition in your second year just to try to gain marginal experience doing the work you want.

If you want to get money and SOME marginal experience, just be honest with yourself. There's nothing wrong with that tack. The better option for hands-on experience would be following the path I just outlined.

I get what you are saying but unfortunately for some reason US Atty's Office look for biglaw lit experience. For example, SDNY won't even hire from Manhattan DA (although EDNY will). It makes no sense to me since you rarely get the trial experience but there are a lot of connections in biglaw (former AUSA's).

Anonymous User wrote:

como wrote:I don't understand why you would work in a litigation department doing civil stuff and getting practically no courtroom experience when your goal is to be a criminal prosecutor. That makes no sense to me. Work at a DA's office or intern for the US Atty's office. Don't sit around writing memos and maybe attending a deposition in your second year just to try to gain marginal experience doing the work you want.

If you want to get money and SOME marginal experience, just be honest with yourself. There's nothing wrong with that tack. The better option for hands-on experience would be following the path I just outlined.

I get what you are saying but unfortunately for some reason US Atty's Office look for biglaw lit experience. For example, SDNY won't even hire from Manhattan DA (although EDNY will). It makes no sense to me since you rarely get the trial experience but there are a lot of connections in biglaw (former AUSA's).

Have you ever considered a different district? I am certain that NDNY does not require biglaw lit experience. A little experience there and you could maybe move to a different district.